Dan just got off the phone from one of his mates in Gulu wishing him Merry Christmas. Dan asked him: have you got presents for everyone? He replied: yes, I got gweno (chicken), I got rice and I have sodas. Christmas is almost in Gulu!
Although we have escaped Santa (he’s not going to be appearing this year, we will be standing in his place), we still have a tree (well… a branch), we popped up our locally made stockings, we have prepared crackers, and the presents are wrapped.
Other expat friends have commented that it doesn’t ‘feel’ like Christmas, more in reference to celebrating Christmas without snow and no fireplace. For us, well, it does ‘feel’ like our Christmas from home. Even though we can’t walk in and out of the air-conditioned living room (don’t need to in a grass-thatched hut), it’s still hot outside, there’s cold beer in the fridge, a decorated tree in the living room, Christmas playlist on request and presents wrapped in actual Christmas wrapping paper (note easy to come by here). This is Myron’s second Christmas with us. Last year he was quite young and the morning was a wipe-out after he cut his eyelid on the coffee table. We have much higher expectations for tomorrow morning.
Myron doesn’t really understand a lot about Christmas Day or its meaning as yet (naturally). At bedtime he thought it was his birthday tomorrow 🙂 We have been trying to encourage him to be involved in the gift buying for others (much to his disappointment that nothing we have bought with him has been for him)… we are not sure he is actually expecting anything for himself! He will certainly be pleasantly surprised.
Today we had a lovely Christmas Eve lunch with our dear friend and colleague Catherine – she cooked up a local feast (of course!) Followed by a beautiful evening with our Kiwi mates at our favourite local coffee shop.
We are looking forward to Christmas lunch tomorrow with friends (an assortment of 15 adults from six different nations).
However you plan to celebrate Christmas this year, we hope you have a wonderful festive season!
With much love,
Dan, Jodes & Myron xxx
Dan and Jodes... in Gulu, Uganda 